Symfo City ProgPages Review3

Album announcements 1999-2000

Mostly Autumn - The spirit of autumn past
Mostly Autumn - For all we shared
A new British band with a sublime new album. Though the older album 'For all we shared' is not as strong as the latest one, this band has a face of its own. To place the music, you can compare to a mixture of Floyd with Iona with Hackett. From folky tunes to easily wavy songs that give you some kind of calmness. For those who can't wait for the new Iona, it's a must.

Quidam - Live in Mexico '99
A 75-minute live album from the Polish band, which won over the Dutch hearts at their numerous concerts in Holland. The tracklist includes: Przebudzenie, Gleboka Rzeka, Chocbym, Plone/Niespelnienie, Jest Taki Samotny Dom, Phayader/Rhayader Goes To Town, Sanktuarium, Angels Of Mine, Child In Time. Material from the first album dominates clearly, with only two tracks from "Angels' Dreams", and two cover tracks, played by Quidam for a few years. The musicians themselves claim it was one of their best performaces, and you can hear it! The Quidam magic is captured here in great versions of most songs, including rearranged "Gleboka Rzeka", "Sanktuarium" and "Angels Of Mine" with some surprising "inserts". A must for every Quidam admirer. As a Musea release, it is available from every good prog distributor.

Solaris - Nostradamus
Solaris meets Era??? Probably this is what you think when you have listened to the newest Solaris album. It's full with those 'Spririts of nature' like sounds and voices. It does excellently illustrate the atmosphere around Nostradamus. The main theme of the album, subtitled 'Book of prophecies'.
Download a soundbite from this location (222kB MP3).

Istvan Cziglan - The seven gates of Alhambra
From that same Hungarian label this year will be released the posthumus solo album of the late Solaris guitar player Istvan Cziglan. The album will be in vein of the latest Solaris album Nostradamus.

Lizard - Noc Zywych Jaszczurow
"The Night Of Live Lizards" The long-awaited live recording of Lizard is finally out. Covers take 4 out of 8 tracks - too much you might say, but what versions these are! Three songs from the first King Crimson album ( "21st Century Schizoid Man", "Moonchild" and "The Court Of The Crimson King") plus UK's classic "In The Dead Of Night". Especially the last one packs a whallop and shows the brilliant technical skills and passion of all musicians. But their own songs are nothing worse. "Galeria Iluzji", "Strefa" (which differs a lot from the studio version), "W Krainie Szmaragdowego Jaszczura" make a good view of Lizard's unique style. The last track, previously unreleased "Bez Litosci I", is an amazing rocker in U.K. style and should convince everyone who liked Lizard's only studio album to put their hands on this one. In my opinion this is the best CD to come out of Poland this year. Unfortunately, the edition is very limited. Please contact Lizard via Email or phone them (+48 601 557 254) for information how to get the CD. For America it is available from Peter Cygan .

Camel - Rajaz
Latimer has made one of his all time best albums with this pure jewel. It shows a pure and very bluesy Latimer in the time of his life. Songs do absolute remind of older albums and at the same time they give you a bit of a feeling that Camel hasn't done this before. Keyboard magician Ton Scherpenzeel from the former Kayak is also responsible. Sit back and let they take you on a ride with a newborn camel.

Anekdoten - From Within
Swedish as the Swedish can be. The known concept from 'Vemod' and 'Nucleus' is worked out a bit more and exceeds into the best balanced album they made. Thrilling bombastic themes and even more shivering moods to calm the mind shows the progress of these kings of mellotron-prog. For those that are familiar with Anekdoten it's a blind purchase. For those that are interested in the band this is probably the most accessable work to listen to.

Rocket Scientists - Oblivion days
After quiet a while of silence here they are back, and just before the end of the millennium. They have made the heaviest album ever and that is due to the bunch of guest musicians playing on this new album. Sprinkling symphonic rock is the keyword to a description of what Rocket Scientists stand for. Keyboard player Erik Norlander excells is all the many solos and leads us further into the Dark Water sequel. Don't underestimate this band. The more you listen, the more you like it.

Yes - The ladder
Expectations are not always the best thing for writing a review. After a few disappointments in the Yes gallery I could not look forward to a new studio album. Otherwise should a line-up with Anderson and Howe result in more 'old-Yes' related songs like on the ABWH album. With that last one in mind you can say a lot about The ladder with less words. They did surprise me, but they doesn't catch me completely anymore. It's a good step back into the right direction I think.

Timothy Pure - Island of the misfit toys
After an overwhelming debut success you always think that the inspiration and progress to the next album will result in a maybe classical one. Alas Timothy Pure didn't manage to reach that status, but I think it's too early to conclude that they couldn't. This is a band with real possibilities to produce an album that has more charisma than this one. The songs lean on Floydian concepts, but show lack of originallity. Sometimes brilliant passages and songs are woven to an overall atmosphere that feels like too much of the same. Don't cry, I think they can make it however.

Abraxas - 99
Like the previous albums of Abraxias, this one is again very atmoshperic. The album contains 13 tracks, but it works rather like a concept album - some tracks are short, atmospheric intermezzos, all in all the music is very varied. But there are quite a few typical Abraxas songs as you know them from Centurie. Quite a fwe excellent guitar solos again, although not so long like the one from "Pokuszenie"! For a fan of "Centurie" a must-buy. The band went through some personnel changes: new drummer Mikolaj Matyska replaced Marcin Mak, old Abraxas member Lukasz Swiech also rejoined the band on accoustic guitar. There is also an English-language version, released at the same time (not with one-year delay, like "Prophecies"!).

1. 14.06.1999 2:58
2. Czekam (1:42)
3. Jezebel (6:49)
4. Szalenstwo Przyszlo Noca (0:17)
5. Spowiedz (4:21)
6. Anatema, Czyli Moje Obsesje (7:30)
7. Petla Medialna (3:37)
8. Noel (5:11)
9. '37 (1:16)
10.Medaliion (6:10)
11. Iris (6:40)
12. Oczyszczenie (4:30)
13. Moje Mantry (3:08)

Visit the Abraxas website.

Steve Cochrane - The purest of design
A very special album that has it's roots in the internet. The story of Steve Cochrane can be found on the internet. It will tell you that he found a Swedish musical friend, Roland Ivarsson, who wanted to co-operate with him and worked on this album 'The purest of designs'.This progressive rock adventure is an idealistic thought process set into musical motion. The album reveals some elements that point towards Rush, Paragon, Oldfield and Hackett. My device, fall asleep in darkness to envision a world full of light.

1.To the glory of man (6:44)
2. When music speaks (5:14)
3.-9. Songs for spring (27:26)
10. Dreams of reasons (4:39)
11. The promise of the music (15:50)

Information on the web.

Arena - The visitor revisited
This Arena release is a special fanclub edition. The second so to say. On this particular album you can listen to acoustic sessions with the new singer Rob Sowden. Also added to this cd are some live tracks from a concert in Paradiso in Amsterdam. Last track is a demo version of 'Enemy without'.

Acoustic session
1. Medusa
2. Pins and needles
3. (Don't forget to) breathe
4. Tears in the rain
5. Crying for help IV
Live in Paradiso
6. Double vision
7. Elea
8. The hanging tree
9. Jericho
10. Solomon
Demo
11. Enemy without

The Cage on internet.

Izz - Sliver of a sun
IZZ is a band from America and they are doing a good job with this new album. They managed to keep a sound of their own and still point to other great colleages like Spock's Beard, Yes and King Crimson. They play a mixture of rock, jazz and classical influences, together with some celtic and folky stuff. You should actually listen to this album, especially to the longest tracks 'Assurance' and 'Where I belong'.

1. Endless calling (5:06)
2. I get lost (4:41)
3. Lornadoone (4:14)
4. She walked out the door (3:00)
5. Assurance (9:03)
6. Take it higher (3:14)
7. Double bass (2:23)
8. Just a girl (4:16)
9. Meteor (5:21)
10. Razor (7:00)
11. Where I belong (10:20)

Mail them for info.

SCYTHE ALBUM
I must admit that I'm very critical to first releases of new prog bands. Mostly I judge them too hard, but this one really amazes me. Globally you think that you're listening to a prog metal band, but listening again you will aware some excellent sophisticated compositions that will suit a genuine prog rock group. Some tracks do not score above average, but the very strong and long lasting songs 'Am I really here' and 'One step further' do a lot of good. The typical vocals do suit the songs, though they are not the best parts of the album. After all this album from this German band will be loved by a lot of neo prog fans. Great stuff.

1.  Eruption: the arrow's point
2.  Am I really here
3.  Faded
4.  Discussed
5.  Elegy
6.  One step further
7.  Episige: where we are

Visit the Scythe website.

Sylvan - Deliverance
Another Angular records album that sounds very symphonic. Sometimes there are heavy guitars, but the major league is in the vein of Marillion and Camel. Compare them with Clepsydra, Darius and No Name and you should actually know what I mean. Not all tracks do sound brilliant but most will. I just want more from this.

1. Seeking Nights 10:50
2. Golden Cage 4:50
3. Unconsciously 10:00
4. Safe 4:10
5. Those Defiant Ways 9:15
6. Deliverance 10:20
7. Childhood Dreams 3:50
8. A Fairytale Ending 16:45

Visit the Sylvan site.

Parallel Or 90 Degrees - The time capsule
After listening to this album, I just sat down and thought 'What did I just really heard'. An opportunity to play it again ...  A Floyd-like intro (dark side samples were used) before the first real track that reveals a spacy song with agressive song elements that roughen up the second verse. Lots of keyboards makes it sound proggy. There is even a little Yes feeling during some parts, but overall it's a hard to manage album with some good tracks and nice atmospheres. 'The time capsule' doesn't sound very English afterall.

1.  Fast >> fwd
2.  Encapsulated
3.  Promises of life
4.  Unforgiving skies
5.  The sea, (parallel or 90 degrees?)
6.  Blues for lear
7.  The single
8. The time capsule
9. Aftertimecapsule

Want to know more, visit the PO90 site.

Mystery - Destiny
This Canadian company has been in one of Symfo City's radio shows a while ago. Maybe there was little time then to present this magnificent prog rock band. They've listened very well to some of their neighbours like Rush, Saga, etc. But the specific Mystery sound does raise this production above an average level. Many light intros does make this album not as heavy as from their brothers. Absolute beauty is the last track 'Shadow of the lake'.

1.  Legend (2:40)
2.  Destiny? (4:55)
3.  Slave to liberty (5:35)
4.  Before the dawn (6:28)
5.  Queen of Vajra space (9:20)
6. The mourning man (4:46)
7.  Submerged (7:52)
8. Shadow of the lake (14:51)

The Mystery webtheatre shows more albums from this band.

Cast - A live experience
Mexico has just this great prog rock band called Cast. They visited Holland in 1998 and will do this again in 1999. Before we can enjoy the show they pleased us with this double live album. The recordings were done between 1995 and 1998, but no track of 'Angels and demons' can be found on this album. That's really a pity, but there's enough good material left. A perfect overview and better than their former unofficial live album.

 
Karibow - Three times deeper 
From Germany we can welcome Karibow. Their latest mini-album called 'Three times deeper' contains some unorthodox neo-prog that is difficult to describe. It has something with the sound of Simple Minds and U2 from the begin '80's, but also a real powerful neo-prog atmosphere. It will not be an average album. But for those who wants to broaden the prog horizon it is worth to listen to. It has only four songs but gives a good idea of what Karibow is or will be in future.

1. Lose your way (3.15)
2. World designs (8.39)
3. The lame and the flyer (7.45)
4. Echoes (13.34)

Their website will tell you more about this band.